Apparatus for vulcanizing rubber articles



May 11 1926.

T. W. MILLER APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING RUBBER ARTICLES mm! 1 n I g Patented May 11, 1926.

UNTTE earner orrics.

THOMAS W. MILLER, 01'! ASHLAND, OHIG, ASSTGNOR T IEIE FAULTLESS RUBBER COIMPANY, OF ASI-ILALNZD, OHIQ'A COBJPOBATEON OF OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING BTIBBER ARTICLES.

Application filed May 14; 1920. Serial No. 381,270.

My invention relates to apparatus for vulcanizing rubber articles, and'is particularly adapted io'r'use in the treatment of hollow rubber articles, such as balls, bulbs, toys, and the like, which are expanded to shape in molds by internal pressure, and has for its primary object materially'to reduce the labor in treating theaarticles, as well as to accom-- plish the desiredvulcanization with a minimum;expenditme otheat. A further ob]ect of my; inventlon isto provide "for S'LllJJECting. the articles in one cont-inuousoperation successively to" the'vulcanizing heat and to tlie action' ofa cool-111g. medium, the articles being moved through the apparatus step by step, and. receiving said movement :through the insertion into the apparatus of successive articles to be treated. A still further object of: my invention is so to arrange the vulcanizing apparatus-that the article bear ing appliances emerging from one unit of the apparatus may be returned, for re-use in that unit, actively, through another and similar unit after having been recharged.

These objects I accomplish in the manner andiby the means hereinafterdescribed and climed, reference'being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is .a side elevation of a vulcanizing and coolingunit embodying my improved construction, the heating or vulcanizing chamberbeing partly lIll section.

Figure 2 is an end viewof the cooling chamber.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the cartridge molds ior containing the articles to be vulcanized during their p a a t-h rough the apparatus.

i igure 4 is a transverse sectional view of said cartridge mold;

Figure 5 is a .top plan view o'l' my impro \IEIl apparatus complete.

Figure 6 is a detail. vertical sectional view of a modified construction of -the cartridge mold.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding pa'rt-s in the several views.

e said drawing, the reference numeral i chamber or vulc i conduits or tubes 2 passing horizontally therethrough, said tu ses extendingthrough a cooling chamber 3, the latter being placed asbestos or other-heat non-conductingmaterial, said jacket enveloping thetubes at the discharge end of said'chamber and between the same and thelchamber 3;as shown. The

chamber 1 is provided with the'usual steam inlet-pipe .5, and with a discharge pipe 6 at the bottom, which lattermay be provided with a conventional trap for retaining the steam and yetpermitting the discharge of the water of condensation. Atthe entrance endsofthe tubesa I provide a seriesof closing plugs 7, though the same may be in the shape of swinging gates, it being necessary only that some-suitable meansbe provided for closing i said openings. normally to preventthe egress of heat. I also provide the chamber 1 with a suitable gage 8 to indicate thetemperature orxpressure within the same.

Thecooling chamber 3 is providedwith a wateninlet pipe 9 at the bottom and with a water dischargepipe 10 at the top, as shown. The cartridge-moldsfor containing the articles to be vulcanized are shown in Figures 3 and 4, and comprise each. complementary members '11 se1ni-circular in exterior cross area andprovided on'their registering faces withiia plurality ofv mold chambers 12 adapted toregister with each other. In the constructionshown in Figures 3 and 4, these mold chambers are shaped to form rubberballs, though it desired, they may be formed into chambers adapted to receive removable'and interchangeable moldsli, as shown in Figurefi'said molds being interiorly shaped in any desired manner to form suitableartioles The mold-sectionslQ are retainedtogether by end-caps 14 slipped thereon, said caps preferably-being "formed witha to fit which they snugly the interior of the tubes 2, in size correspond therewith, so that ry f ide freely ugh.-saidtubes:

ball toys, orother ai to be series of longitudinal ribs 16 adapted formed are expanded into shape in their molds by internal pressure, in a manner well serted. In the meantime other cartridge molds of the same size are charged, and at suitable intervals successive cartridge molds are inserted into the said tube, the insertion of each mold automatically forcing the preceding mold or moldsforward through the tube. By timing the passage of the molds through the tube in this manner, they may be subjected to'the desired vulcanizing heat and maybe discharged from the chamber 1 at the proper time. The continued insertion of the molds force the preceding molds forwardly through the tube 2 and into and through the cooling chamber 8 where said.

molds are subjected to the actionof a cooling medium, preferably cold water, and are discharged from said chamber 3 in a properly cooled condition, as readily will be under-- stood.

In Figure 5 I have shown an assembly of two vulcanizing and cooling units, there being provided at each end a suitable table 17 for the'convenience of the operators. With this arrangement the molds may be fed into the chamber 1 from the left and discharged upon the table 17 at the right, and there may be emptied and refilled and then fed into the other vulcanizing chamber 1 at the right, to be discharged upon the table 17 at the left, thus reducing to a minimum the handling of the molds.

' I prefer to support the chambers 1 and 3 at a slight angle from the horizontal, the pitch being downward from the feeding to ward the discharge end of the units, in order to facilitate the of'the molds.

As seen in Figures 1 and 2,1 contemplate passage theret-hrough the employment of tubes 2 of'varying sizes in a single unit in order to accommodate molds of corresponding sizes for artlcles of different characters, thus adaptlng the apparatus to the treatment of articles of dif-.

ferent sizes. lVhile I have shown a limited number of tubes in the vulcanizing and cool ing chambers, it will be understood that the number may be increased or diminished at will, the only requirement being that there be a free circulation of steam and water around said tubes in order properly to treat the articles being molded.

lVhile I have shown the longitudinal ribs 16 on the caps 14 of the cartridge molds,

it will be understood that these ribs 16 may be formed on the sections 11 of the molds instead of on the caps, it being desirable onlythat there be such ribs on one part or other to reduce the friction to a minimum.

An important result obtained by my improved apparatus is that there is no necessity for a periodic discharge of the steam from the vulcanizing chamber 1, as is the case with apparatus of this character heretofore in use, where it is necessary to open said chamber each time that it is charged with articles to be vulcanized. By employing the tubes 2 as receivers for the molds, said tubes being sealed against ingress of the steam and water in the chambers 1 and the temperature in chamber 1 may be kept constant at the proper vulcanizing heat and the operation of the apparatus be continued indefinitely without interruption, thus not only insuring more uniform results, but also effecting a very material saving in heat units. Time also is saved, due to dispensing with the necessity for reheating the vulcanizer every time a fresh charge is introduced therein, as in apparatus heretofore in use. p

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A cartridge mold, for use in a continuous vulcanization process,- comprising complementary sections. formed to provide a cavity for the article to be vulcanized, and annular caps formed to surround the ends of said sections to hold said sections assembled.

2. A cartridge mold, for use in a continuous vulcanization process, comprising complementary sections formed to provide a plurality ofcavities each arranged to receive an article to be vulcanized, and annular caps formed to surround the ends of said sections i. A cartridge mold, comprising two separable semi-cylindrical sections formed in their adjacent faces into registering semimold chambers, and cylindrical caps fitting the ends of said sections detachably to retain the same together.

5. A cartridge mold, comprising two sep- Laeaaes arable sections formed in their adjacent faces into registering semi-mold chambers and means for detachably retaining the same tog-ether, and ribs i'orined longitudinally thereon.

6. A cartridge mold, comprising two separable sect-ions formed in their adjacent faces into registering semi-mold chambers caps fitting the ends of said sections detachably to retain the same together, and ribssignature.

THOMAS W. MILLER. 

